miniaturized is made up of guitarist/vocalist Timothy Joseph (Buckfast Superbee, The Palace Ballroom, Phasers on Stun), drummers Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless, Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes), Chris Prescott (Pinback, No Knife), bassists Brian Desjean (No Knife, Mistress 77) and Chris Torres(Ron Blair band, Chris Torres Band). Born in 2021 from members of some of San Diego's most cherished acts, miniaturized was initially formed as a one-off project for a MusiCares charity show honoring Tom Petty. The band's Timothy Joseph found inspiration from dissecting Petty’s songwriting, coming to revelations
about his own work as a musician in the process. With a sudden fresh perspective, he began composing all original material that would shape the future of the band into something all its own. miniaturized is, at its core, a rock band. Still, the sound is so sweeping and vibrant that it overflows, spilling into the more nuanced realms of pop and indie rock and nods to iconic alternative rock of decades past such as Pixies, Built to Spill, The Feelies, Jesus and Mary Chain and early R.E.M. We caught up with the band to talk about upcoming tour dates, their new album and what inspires them!
How did the band form?
I put together a Tom Petty tribute to benefit the Grammy Associations' charity, MusiCares. I called a bunch of my friends around town who I knew dug Petty's stuff and could pull it off with style so we could do him justice. We learned about 25 TP songs and ended up playing two shows to great success. It was so fun seeing how those timeless rock anthems affected people in a live setting. Young and old, it's like those songs had the ability to connect on every level. So, I wrote the songs that would eventually become miniaturized at home pretty quickly after the tribute. Taking apart all of those classic rock songs really sparked an inspiration to try some new angles with my own writing. So as the songs came together, I thought it would be fun to go into the studio and just record them live as a band with my friends from the Petty tribute. But as the demos developed and got passed around a bit, things evolved.. We spent 8 days recording (with Mitch Easter producing) in San Diego at Phaser Control Recording Studio and tracked most of the drums/bass and rhythm guitar for the album. A few months later, I flew out to North Carolina to Mitch's studio, Fidelitorium Recordings. He and I did vocals and overdubs for about a week and then it was time to go. We didn't quite finish everything, so given that the pandemic was in full swing, we collaborated remotely on the few parts we had left. Mitch mixed the album at a steady pace through the end of 2021. Greg Calbi at Sterling sound mastered the record shortly after and things started progressing at a nice clip from there. When it came time to start playing shows last year, the live incarnation of miniaturized was very quick to come together as it involved players who were already familiar with the songs. The fact that they were all my friends and we all had played together in one form or another before was a huge bonus. The project transitioned into a full-force live act very quickly. And so, here we are now.
What are your previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
We've all been in bands since we were kids. So the list of bands/projects and collaborations is pretty extensive (The more notable projects are in the press release you have :). For me personally, music was intrinsic from a very early age. From the time I was cognizant of my ability to recognize melodies, i've had music in my head constantly. It only made sense to pay attention to it. Thankfully, my older brother Ahthony was into music as well and introduced me to bands like Pixies, Talking Heads, The Feelies, The Cure and R.E.M. very early on. I started writing my own songs around the age of 10 and haven't stopped since. Covid was incredibly hard for me as I didn't have any shows or band practices on the regular and I felt very manic and out of sorts. I guess you could say that music is an essential part of my chemistry and when it's not constantly present, it has a negative overall effect on my well-being.
First concert that you ever went to?
My dad took me to see a Padres game at Jack Murphy stadium when I was 7 or 8. After the game The Doobie Brothers played and even though my dad didn't like rock music, he agreed to stay so I could watch. I didn't know their music very well but I was in awe of the size and sound of it all. That was my first real concert experience. I started going to local house and punk-rock shows probably around 12 or 13. I went to as many as I could so it's hard to remember who or what I saw first. I remember the shows that made a difference though. In 1993, I went to the Mayday festival at the Starlite Bowl in Balboa Park. I saw a bunch of incredible indie-rock bands like Three Mile Pilot, Inch, Lucy's fur Coat, fluf, etc. It cemented my commitment to rock music from there out.
Can you explain what your writing process is like?
Music comes first as emotions linked to melodies that appear. Those melodies dictate the pace and emotion. My songs stem more or less from observations or feelings I have on the human condition. The way a song materializes for me has been pretty consistent since I started writing as a kid. I'll play my guitar and a pattern or melody will strike me. That pattern or melody conjures an emotional arc for the song. So I'll just keep riffing on it and putting different ideas and melodies in places until it starts to feel cohesive. Sometimes the words strike right away, and sometimes they are the last thing that gets worked out. But the melody and emotion always show up first. After a song has a skeleton, the subsequent arrangement and instrumentation fall in place pretty effortlessly as the pace and energy is already set forth.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
That list is long and varied. But my earliest influences most likely make up the foundation of my penchant for rock music. I think first and foremost would be bands like The Kinks, Pixies and R.E.M. Which were bands my brother showed me as a kid. The one thing they had in common was great songs with continuing emotional arcs. I'm drawn to bands and songwriters that can tell a story with an emotional journey. It's always fascinated me how words and music set together can tell so much more of a story than just words alone. There are so many facets of a great song. The bands I included in the playlist are just a small sampling of the artists that had a major impact on me from an early age until now. If you listen straight through to the playlist I sent over, you'll definitely feel the hills and valleys in the tracks I listed. Swelling guitars and varied styles of vocal delivery all carving out their own way for you to follow along and eventually see the point.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
Live is the best way to have a direct connection to others with your songs. For me, playing live is an essential part of the music I write. I hope that when people hear my songs, they can relate or identify with them in a way that makes them feel connected. If that connection is strong enough they will be moved to come see and feel these songs in a live setting. That is where the connection becomes visceral. People are looking to intensify those feelings when they go see an artist they connect to live. That's why I go see bands I love live. I'm assuming it works that way for a lot of people. As far as sounding identical to the album, I think that all depends on the artist and the song. There are so many variables when it comes to live shows. An artist can connect with a crowd just playing solo acoustically. Even if the song they're playing was recorded with a full band and orchestration. If the soul and vibe of the song remains, people who came to see it live usually won't be disappointed. However, I have been to quite a few shows, very excited to see bands who's albums I love and they just didn't have the energy or sound I expected so I was let down. If you play lackluster or poorly performed shows, or if the sound or instrumentation is sub-par, you can't expect the people who came to see you to have the experience they are hoping for. Ir's a very delicate balance.
What has your touring experience been, best shows? Worst shows?
Well, I've played all over. From backyard parties and basement house shows to huge venues and arenas. The best shows are always when the energy of the crowd feeds the energy of the band or performers. There is no greater feeling than being up on a stage and getting that energetic injection from the anticipation of a crowd that knows your songs. Hearing them sing along and seeing them sink into the chorus without hesitation might be the best high there is. The worst shows usually start before you ever get on stage. Sometimes you have a crowd that isn't there to see you or could care less. Or a venue or crew of a venue that is disrespectful or dismissive. It's hard to stand up there and be sneered at or even worse accosted by a hostile crowd. That happened quite a bit in bands I toured with in the beginning of my career. But playing those shows strengthens your resolve if you take them as tests or lessons on your integrity as a musician and as a person. I've been spit on, hit in the head with bottles, punched and kicked and called every name you can think of while playing on stage over the years. Nothing has deterred me from going back out there and continuing to try to connect with people. I believe you always have to endure the bad to find the good in most things.
What's up next for the band?
Playing shows and touring through the end of 23. We're planning on touring in support of our debut album through winter regionally at first and then, hopefully nationally. We already are working on songs for the second miniaturized album and will probably be putting those songs in our live sets invariably to solidify them before we head into the studio to record. We're hoping to see you all in your town very soon so we can foster that connection and lean into that big chorus, together.